


Game Night

by Shipsterella



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Domestic, Falling slowly, Fluff, Game Night, Not an established romantic relationship, Quelf, so domestic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 13:17:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10022300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shipsterella/pseuds/Shipsterella
Summary: Regina forgot they had planned a game night. She can't disappoint Henry, though.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Henry is 10-ish. Regina and Emma are begrudgingly accepting of each other, though not quite friends. Quelf is the greatest game in existence.
> 
> Regina's POV. Thoughts and game cards are in italics.
> 
> I own nothing but the mistakes. ;)

After a long day spent mayoring, the longest day full of impossible budgets and inane complaints, Regina is at a point she can leave, finally.

She arrives at her house ready to get started on a quick and easy (but healthy) dinner and is greeted by two faces looking up at her from the floor behind the coffee table.

 _Game night._ She pinches the bridge of her nose, briefly annoyed that she had forgotten and that her day isn't as over as she had hoped.

She was as unsure about how she found herself with *this woman* in her house as she was about how she felt about it.

 _Henry_. Henry had invited her when they bumped into each other at Granny's and Regina, silenced by her shock at his audacity, had nodded her acceptance before she could stop herself. She could deal with her for him.

"Hey, Madam Mayor" Emma says with a grin, getting up and handing her a glass of wine simultaneously.

"Hey Mom!" echoes Henry excitedly.

"I can go..." Emma starts softly, but Regina had noticed the untouched pizza boxes and board game they had already set up.

"No, it's fine. Just a long day." Regina replies with a tired but grateful smile (for the wine). She's unable to say no to the hopeful look on Henry's face, a look that is less enthusiastically reflected on Emma's currently, too.

Emma leads Regina to her designated cushion on the floor and takes her place next to Henry.

"We made you the Queen."

Regina arches an eyebrow as she sips her wine, watching the two co-conspirators across from her clearly share some kind of inside joke as they snicker at each other.

Refusing to take the bait and ready to get started so this never-ending day could finally end, Regina ignores their snickers and asks "So, how do I win?".

Regina starts passing out plates and pizza while Emma explains the game.

"You roll the die, move that number of spaces, and whatever space you land on determines which card you have to draw. Then, you have to do whatever the card says."

"I do not take instructions from a flimsy piece of colorful paper, Miss Swan."

"Then you don't win. Look, it even says on the box 'Obey the Card'. If you don't follow the instructions, you have to take the penalty. Whoever makes it to the end first wins."

Regina sees the box lid and sure enough, "Obey the Card" is written plain as day right underneath "Quelf". She chooses not to comment on the... interesting name of the game but it's too late to hide the face she had made at it.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_  

She gives Emma the benefit of the doubt over its appropriateness for Henry in spite of herself.

_I **must** be tired._

"I'm going to be Super Ninja Monkey!" Henry declares excitedly.

"So Henry is the monkey. I'm the queen. Who are you tonight, Miss Swan?" Regina asks and arches an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I'm always The Dude." Emma says with a grin.

Regina looks at The Dude's character card "It's the leather jacket, isn't it?"

"If only it were red." Emma shoots back, knowing she's being mocked but not caring one bit.

Regina finally gets a look at her card. Now she understands the snickers. "Queen Spatula" is the name below her character's illustration.

She glares at both of them as they laugh wildly.

They each roll to see who goes first and Regina has the honor. "Royalty first." She says smugly and rolls. She only gets to move one space so her smugness fades slightly. Purple. She reaches for a card and starts reading it out loud.

 _Showbiz: Sing the ABC's, Backwards. When you arrive at the letter "Q", exclaim "Queen_ _Spatula lives!" instead of saying the letter "Q". If you sing any letters out of order, pay the_ _penalty._  
_The Quelf Effect: If Queen Spatula is in play, she may assign any Talking or Action rule card in play to another player._  
_"It's my world, and the rest of you are just payin' the rent."-Queen Spatula_

"Maybe the queen isn't so bad." Regina thinks and chuckles to herself over that quote.

She starts the backwards ABC's and shouts "QUEEN SPATULA LIVES!" with gusto before finishing flawlessly. Her smugness returns.

Emma's turn is next. She rolls a 5 and lands on a red space. Regina hides her jealousy over such a strong start by reading the instructions for red cards since this is their first one.

 _Scatterbrainz: In Scatterbrainz, everyone gets to play! When you draw a Scatterbrainz card, choose a topic (if you're given a choice) like 'Types of Fish' or 'Brands of Lipstick.' Each player must give a valid answer, starting with you and proceeding to the left around the gameboard._  
_This continues until:_  
_\- A player can't think of a valid answer._  
_\- A player gives an answer that has already been said._  
_\- A player takes more than 10 seconds (or so) to give a valid answer._  
_The player that fails to keep the round going, pays the penalty._

Emma reads her card: "Types of underwear or Star Wars characters".

Regina and Henry exchange a look as Emma chooses Star Wars characters. Nobody knows Regina is a huge Star Wars Nerd except for the two of them.

Emma says "I start so, Luke Skywalker"

Henry: "Leia!"

Regina: "Darth Vader"

Emma smiles at Regina's answer and adds "Yoda".

Henry: "Chewie!"

Regina: "Captain Phasma"

Emma: "Jar Jar"

Henry: "Poe"

They continue four more rounds, Regina and Henry never hesitating while Emma is quickly running out of characters.

Regina: "Admiral Ackbar"

Emma hesitates and says "C3PO...?" unsurely.

"We already said that one! Take the penalty." Henry enthuses and high fives his Mom. You should have chosen "Types of Underwear. Nobody knows more about Star Wars than Mom." he shares, glancing at her proudly.

Regina blushes slightly and Emma looks at her shocked, "Well, aren't you full of surprises?"

Regina's nothing if not competitive and the words are out of her mouth before she can stop them: "I would have beat you with 'Types of Underwear', too."

Emma just chuckles in response. She looks beautiful.

_Must be the wine._

Emma takes her penalty, moves back 2 spaces, and Regina silently gloats.

Henry rolls a 4 and moves up to a yellow space. It's a Stuntz card. He reads:

_This is a Timed Card._

_Your thumbs are now dueling dragons. Each opponent must choose a_ _thumb that they think will win the duel. Set the timer, and show us a duel to the death between_ _your two dragons, complete with terrifying noises, and exciting music. When the timer runs out,_ _declare the winner._  
_The Quelf Effect: All players who chose the losing dragon, must pay the penalty._  
_"Those dragons could sure use a manicure." -Mrs. Pickle Feather_

Henry doesn't let them tell him which one they choose so he can't sway the result in either favor. He gets lost in the imaginary dragon duel with sounds effects and a crescendo of music dramatically highlighting the final death scene.

Regina and Emma are both laughing, completely unreserved.

The laughter stops abruptly when Emma has to take the penalty and isn't as silent about her displeasure at the loss as Regina had been. She grumbles and mumbles while moving her piece back the 3 spaces, all the way back to the start.

"You're acting like a petulant child." Regina says, but with amusement in her voice, not reprimand.

If anyone can understand her frustration, it's her. She reaches out and puts her hand over Emma's to reassure her. Emma's face changes as their eyes meet, suddenly silent and serious. Regina squeezes her hand and draws it back to roll the die.

_Definitely the wine._

So much time has passed already and Emma is still at the start. Regina is only a space ahead of her. Henry is in the lead but they all still have so far to go.

Regina finds she doesn't mind.

She rolls a 4 and lands on a red space. These are already her favorite.

She reads their options aloud, "Slang words for getting sick or slang words for being in love."

_No. **No.** Definitely not._

She chooses slang words for getting sick and starts them off with "vomit".

Emma and Henry take too much pleasure in choosing the most grotesque synonyms possible as they go through round after round of more creative and more disgusting words, painting the worst kind of pictures, and Regina finally can't take anymore and takes the penalty. Two spaces is worth never hearing this kind of creativity again.

"You've been a terrible influence, Miss Swan." Regina says, looking a little green, and Henry and Emma laugh.

Emma rolls a 6 and The Dude moves from the start to a purple space. It's a showbiz card.  
_This is a timed card.  
__Tap Dancing is fun! Set the timer and show us your flashy tapping feet._ _While you are tap dancing, tell us an embarrassing story about your childhood. Do this until the_ _timer runs out, or pay the penalty._

Emma tries to think of an embarrassing story. She's had plenty of embarrassing moments but nothing specific comes to mind on the spot.

She finally grins and starts the timer. She's tap dancing terribly, more accurately, just stomping and throwing her arms around. Henry is laughing too hard to hear her story but Regina hears it. Initially she laughs at the display until the implications of Emma's story settles in and she realizes it was abuse, not embarrassment, at the hands of one of her foster parents. The sand in the timer is gone and Emma sits back down, red faced from her "dancing" and finishes reading the card.

 _The Quelf Effect: If you completed this card without laughing roll the dice. If you roll the same_ _number that you rolled earlier this turn, advance that number of spaces_

Emma doesn't seem affected by her story as her attention goes back to the game. Regina watches somberly as she rolls again and lands on a 6 again.

"No way!" Henry says with a bit of jealousy as he watches her move her piece so far ahead.

There's no way to tell if that is nature or nurture since both Regina and Emma are competitive to a fault. Regina just chuckles, slightly jealous, too, but far better at hiding it.

Henry rolls a 4 and lands on a blue space. It's a Roolz card.  
_All players must hold something in their left hand when it is not their turn. The item they hold must be larger than their fist._  
_The Quelf Effect: Global Rule_  
_This GLOBAL Rule affects all players, and must remain in play for the rest of the game unless_ _another card says to remove it._

Regina grabs her wine glass and smirks while Emma grabs the game box lid and Henry grabs a remote from the couch.

It's Regina's turn. She's last and determined to change this, no matter what kind of card she draws. Luckily, she rolls a 6 and lands on a yellow space, a space ahead of Henry, she realizes with imperceptible satisfaction. She skims the card silently and that satisfaction quickly fades.  
_Stuntz_  
_This card is Classified!_  
_Show your opponents your belly button. Pretend your belly button is a mouth, and talk with it_ _in a scary old voice. Make your belly button say, "I've seen a lot of strange things in my day, but_ _this just beats all."_  
_The Quelf Effect: If you fail to complete this card, draw Roolz cards until you draw an Action or_ _Talking rule, and put that card to play in front of you. Discard the other cards you draw._  
_"Things go into my belly button and never come back." - Queen Spatula_

Regina is finding Queen Spatula far less agreeable at the moment. She chugs the rest of her wine and stands. Emma and Henry watch, wide-eyed and smiling, waiting for what she has to do.

She walks around the table, stands in between both of them and raises her shirt to reveal her belly button. Henry cackles and Emma just stares. Regina looks puzzled at her for a second before remembering her line. She lowers her voice to the scariest one she can muster and adds an accent while speaking extra slow to age it. "I've seen a lot of **strange** things in my day..." "Day" is a little bit higher pitched and she even manages to add a squeak to it. "...but this just beats all." She punctuates the end with a cackle and Henry is laughing too hard to breathe.

Emma is still staring. She may not be breathing either.

Regina quickly breaks character and lowers her shirt. She steps over Henry's cushion to get back to her own and stumbles. Emma catches her across her lap with a "oomph!"

They both blush as Regina manages to extract herself from Emma's arms.

_Nice arms._

"I'm glad your reflexes are better than your sense of style." Regina says as she goes to sits on her cushion safely back on her side of the coffee table.

Emma glares at her as the tension breaks. Henry can finally breathe again, his laughter finally subsiding. Now Regina is the one struggling. She grabs her empty wine glass and refills it because the global "Roolz" card is still in play and quickly calls Emma and Henry out for not holding their items. They each begrudgingly move back a space.

Emma rolls a 2 and lands on blue. She reads aloud:  
_You know the box that the gameboard came in? Big square thing? Yeah, now you gotta keep that box underneath your shirt. Good luck, squareblouse._  
_The Quelf Effect: Action Rule_  
_This ACTION rule affects only the player who drew it. If you draw or receive another ACTION rule, discard this rule and place the new rule in play._

Emma puts the lid she had been holding on the box and shoves it under her shirt, grabbing a wine glass of her own to hold in her left hand for the global rule.

Regina can't help but notice the slight gap that is left between Emma's shirt and her jeans thanks to the box and stares momentarily at the newly exposed skin.

_No more wine_

Henry rolls a 4 and lands on purple.  
_Showbiz_  
_This card is classified!_  
_Sing the following words in your best rap voice. "Word up yo. Word to everything including_ _barbed wire and pig feed. Word to this game and word to your mom. Word to words and word_ _to the dictionary for having words. Word to sentences and paragraphs too. Word to me and_ _word to you. Word."_

Henry giggles at the card and stands to take his rap stance. Henry is rapping with no real rhythm and Emma busts out laughing. Regina's attention is taken from Henry to Emma as she continues to cackle. Regina feels her smile grow and she feels... warm?... Happy? _Happy._

"Word." Henry finishes to applause from both of them and takes a bow before sitting back down. He looks at Emma with a mischievous grin and hands the card to his Mom with a conspiratorial smirk. "Read it, Mom."

Regina reads through the rap she just heard and sees The Quelf Effect at the bottom:  
_If you are the second player to read this card, advance 2 spaces._

Regina smiles so warmly at Henry, it could melt all of the icebergs and moves ahead 2 spaces.

"Now we're together!" Henry says happily.

"Thank you, Henry." She coos.

_That's definitely nature. I would never have done that willingly._

She looks at Emma who is glaring. "Traitor." She says to Henry, who just gives her the most innocent puppy dog eyes he can muster and says "You're still winning."

Henry can't fight the yawn that overtakes him and Regina realizes it's past Henry's bedtime but there's no school tomorrow so he can stay up a little later tonight. Like eating dinner anywhere but the dinner table earlier, it's just this once.

Luckily, Regina rolls a 6 and the end is in sight. She reaches for a green card but Emma stops her.

"That's a Quizzle card. You don't get to read your own Quizzle card. I'll get it." Emma says then starts to read it.  
_Which of the following statements is false?_  
_(A) During his or her lifetime, the average human with grow 590 miles of hair._  
_(B) The human brain stops growing in size at age 9._  
_(C) Your thumb is the same length of your nose._

Henry quickly tests the thumb one and they all laugh.

Regina answers "B" and adds "Boys brains are still developing until they're 25."

Emma says "B is correct! The card says 'The human brain stops growing roughly at age 18.' The card ALSO says that 'any player caught putting their thumb to their nose must move back 1 space."

Henry protests and looks at his Mom to back him up. She gives him a look and he grumbles "I'm not letting you guys move ahead anymore." as he moves back a space.

Emma rolls a 5 and lands on blue.

"Why am I getting all the rules cards?" She complains as she reaches for a new one.

"Because you're the most unruly." Regina replies with a warm smirk.

Emma skims the card, "Ha! It's a global rule!"  
_Each player must assign a term of endearment (I.e. Honey Buns, Baby Cakes, Shnookie_ _Wookie, etc.) to the player to their right. For the remainder of the game, each player must only_ _be referred to by their newly acquired name. Any player forgetting to call another player by their_ _new name pays the penalty._

"Ooh, and the penalty is **two** spaces for this one!" Emma reveals with delight.

Regina clarifies, "So I'm giving Henry his nickname. Henry is giving you your nickname. And I'm at your mercy?"

Emma laughs rather evilly. "Yep."

Regina takes a sip of her wine and looks at Henry. He tries looking at her innocently, hoping to avoid something **too** embarrassing. "You've always been 'My Prince'." Regina says warmly and touches his nose. Henry smiles, looking pleased with that nickname and turns to Emma. "You're now Bearclaw."

Emma chuckles. "Okay, kid. Now for your Mom..." She snickers and glances back at the card.

"'Shnookie Wookie' has a nice ring to it, especially since you're such a big Star Wars fan."

 _That smirk._ Regina rolls her eyes.

"Fine, Miss Sw-*ahem* Bear-claw." She draws it out, managing to turn it into 3 syllables somehow.

"It's your turn, My Prince." Emma says sweetly and bows her head, handing him the die.

Amused, Henry takes it and rolls a 2, landing on green.

Regina reaches for the Quizzle card and reads:  
_How many fingers does a one-armed and thumbless woman have?_

Henry replies easily "Four."

Regina affirms that's correct and reads the bonus question.  
_Extra Credit Question:  
How many fingers and toes combines do four one-legged weathermen and three blind armless, __retired submarine commanders have?_

Henry yawns and says "What?"

Regina reads it again and Henry takes a stab at the answer that is horribly wrong. 

_It's too late for complicated word problems anyway._

"No complicated word problems allowed on the weekend, **Shnookie Wookie** ," Emma playfully protests but emphasizes her new nickname exceedingly.

Regina gives her best death glare and rolls another 4 to put her in the lead. It's a purple card.  
_This is a Timed Card. This Card is Classified!  
Aloha! Let's see you perform your best hula dance. Tempt us with your swaying hips and waving __arms! Hum a Hawaiian lullaby while you dance. Set the timer and perform until it runs out._

 _What has she gotten herself into?_ Regina thinks for the second time tonight. The penalty is 3 spaces, which would leave her tied with Emma, who is up next. She looks at Emma and looks at the card weighing her options. She wants to win.

She wraps a blanket around her waist and ties it as her hula skirt. If she's going to do this, she might as well commit. She sets the timer and stands. Her hips start slowly swaying as she starts humming softly. The timer runs out of sand and Henry lets her know she can stop. She ends on a "da-da" and wiggles her hips quickly to match.

Emma hasn't blinked. Emma isn't breathing.

Regina clears her throat, removes the blanket, and sits back down, grabbing her wine glass because of the left hand rule.

She reads the rest of the card to herself, unable to make eye contact with anyone after her somewhat embarrassing dance.  
_The Quelf Effect  
"Lord have mercy. Consider myself... tempted." -The Dude_

The spell over Emma breaks as Regina laughs loudly.

Emma takes a sip and reaches for the die. She rolls a 4 and lands on green.

Henry reads her Quizzle card:  
_What is the official language of the United States of America?_

Emma, still staring at Regina, chokes out "Eng-" clears her throat, turns her attention to Henry and tries again, "English."

Henry chuckles ruefully and says "No, Bearclaw. The United States does not have an official language." He moves The Dude back two spaces and starts on the bonus question:  
_Extra Credit Question:  
Who are Clark Kent, Bruce Banner, and Peter Parker better known as?_

She answers with ease, proud comic book nerd that she is, and moves forward a space while sticking her tongue out at Henry.

"Now you and Mo- I mean Shnookie Wookie are tied." Henry says amused. It's becoming more evident how tired he is.

"Do you want to go to sleep, My Prince? We can continue this another time." Regina offers.

"No way!" Henry protests immediately. He's clearly enjoying this.

_We all are._

"Plus, it's my turn." He says and rolls a 5, another Quizzle card.

Regina reads it for him  
_What color is blue?_

Henry looks as confused as Emma does. "...blue...?"

"That's correct, My Prince!" She replies and continues with the bonus question:  
_Extra Credit Question:  
Name a color other than blue._

"Red!" Henry says and moves forward another space.

"This game is rigged. That was too easy." Emma pretends to protest while Henry ignores her and proudly settles back on his cushion after such a fruitful turn. He's only 3 spaces behind them now. She finishes her weak protests with an amused "Royalty has it so easy." and ruffles his hair.

Regina rolls a 6 and lands on green, only 3 spaces from the end. She's going to win.

Emma reads her Quizzle card:  
_Name a word that you've heard other than the word 'bird' or 'heard' that rhymes with the_ _word 'word' and the word 'heard'._

"Easy, **nerd."** She almost purrs at Emma, thanks to her newfound boost of confidence from seeing victory so near.

Emma swallows and starts reading her bonus question quickly, before Regina can purr at her anymore.  
_Extra Credit Question:  
Name a word in the English language that does not rhyme with any other word in the English __language._

Regina leans in towards Emma's face over the table and nobody can deny that it's a purr when she says " _ **Woman**_."

Emma visibly shivers.

Henry offers her the blanket that Regina had previously had tied around her waist.

"No thanks, kid." She says and he immediately makes her move back 2 spaces for not calling him "My Prince". The events that had just transpired are immediately forgotten.

Regina is too smug for words now that she has only 2 spaces left and nobody can catch up.

Emma is glaring at her.

Emma rolls a 5 and lands on yellow.  
_Stuntz_  
Smell the inside of the shoe (or sock) of the player to the left of you. Three big inhales should _do the trick._  
_The Quelf Effect_  
_"I'm warning you, your nostrils will burn." - Mr. Lugnut_

Henry laughs and shoves his socked foot in her face.

Emma exagerrates her deep inhales and feigns disgust dramatically.

Regina is thankful the box is still in Emma's shirt to protect her from the bruises she would have otherwise from Henry''s thrashing and kicking. His feet have always been ticklish. She laughs at the sight.

"Oohwee! My Prince, your nickname should have been Stinky Feet!" Emma groans and pushes his foot out of her face.

Henry just laughs. He's curled up on his cushion lying down now, a sign of just how tired he is, but he refuses to stop playing and go to bed.

Regina considers making him pay the penalty for not holding the remote any longer but decides to let it slide, just this once.

Henry throws his die from his new position on the floor and it lands on 1. Emma quickly gestures at Regina not to say anything and moves his piece forward 6 spaces. It's the same color, anyway. Now Emma and Henry are tied. Regina is still going to win.

Emma hands Henry his yellow Stuntz card.

 _This Card is Classified!  
If you are the first player to look at this card, silently and without comment put this card back _ _on top on the pile it came from, or pay the penalty._

He grumbles and sits up long enough to put the card back on the pile then curls back up into a ball.

Regina and Emma look at each other confused. They can't figure out if he's done playing or if this is part of the game. Honestly, it could go either way. "You ready for bed, My Prince?" Regina tries again. Henry grumbles out a muffled "No." Emma shrugs.

Regina, ready to end the game so Henry can go to bed and this day can be over, rolls the die.

_I almost don't want it to be over._

She rolls a 1 and groans. That is literally the only number that means this game continues. She moves forward and picks up the yellow card that Henry had discarded.  
_This Card is Classified!_  
_If you are the first player to look at this card, silently and without comment put this card back on top on the pile it came from, or pay the penalty._  
_The Quelf Effect:_  
_If you are not the first player to look at this card, do not put it back on the pile, but discard the card and pay the penalty._

Regina lets out a frustrated huff. She could have won. This could be over. She moves back the 3 penalty spaces and pouts. Now, she's only ahead of Emma and Henry by one space and they're all within range to win.

Emma rolls a 6. That puts her in the last red space on the board.

_Of course_

Regina reaches for the instructions and finds the section "Winning the Game"  
_To win the game, you must be the first player to get to the finish space and complete the_ _final Scatterbrainz question. Since you're trying to win the game, we've made it a little harder on_ _you this time around. You have to give 2 answers while everyone else only gives 1 answer. If_ _you are not the player getting stuck with the penalty for this round, congratulations you just_ _won the game!_

She puts the instructions back down and waits for Emma to choose their topic. She hopes it doesn't last as many rounds as the Star Wars characters round had lasted but her competitive streak kicks in and she's determined not to lose.

_It's not over yet._

Emma has skimmed over the card while Regina was reading how to win and now she's looking at Regina hesitantly, no doubt sizing her up after her earlier surprise knowledge and resulting victory.

_Okay, it was just that round but still._

Emma reads the card:  
_'Physical features of the player who drew this card'_  
_or_  
_'Slang words or phrases to describe 'kissing' (i.e. smooching)'_

Emma meets Regina's eye as they both hear Henry mumble "Gross!" from his cushion. He's still hanging in there. They both smile at his response.

Emma softly says "physical features of the player who drew this card" and answers "average height and feet" with an uncomfortable chuckle.

"The best arms for hugging." Henry attempts, barely intelligible.

Regina nods and adds "A vibrant smile" since that's all she can see at the moment. It lights up the whole room.

Emma blushes and offers "green eyes and blonde hair" like she reciting her driver's license.

Henry mumbles something. It's lost in his sleepiness and the cushions.

Regina says " **captivating** green eyes and **stunning** blonde hair" as if challenging Emma to contradict her while simultaneously willing her to believe it.

If Henry heard, he doesn't dare suggest that that answer has already been said because of the charge in the room. The tension is palpable. This victory will be hard-earned.

"Long legs and... leather jacket" Emma supplies but Regina quickly cuts her off and says excitedly "No, your leather jacket isn't a physical feature! Take the penalty! Your turn Henry!"

(Nobody notices she forgot about the nicknames rule.)

"Not quite." Emma says shyly.

 _The Quelf Effect_  
_Loser may choose a player and give them a smooch to pay only half of the penalty._  
_"Pucker up, baby!" - The Dude_

Henry immediately protests "You're not kissing me, Bearclaw! I'm comfy!" mostly in grunts and mumbles and whines.

Emma chances a glance up at Regina.

"Well, Shnookie Wookie?" she asks nervously.

Regina glares then softens and Emma quickly kisses her on the cheek.

It was a quick peck but Emma quickly pulls away and touches her lips after as if she had been burned, eyes wide.

Regina can do nothing but stare, slowly inching closer to Emma's face without realizing closer and closer until-

Henry suddenly grumbles and stands up "You guys are being weird. I'm going to bed." and heads upstairs.

Regina follows him to tuck him in with a kiss on the forehead and "Goodnight, My Prince." She emerges again a few minutes later.

Regina walks Emma to the front door in shy silence, Quelf in hand, neither of them daring to bring up the chaste but clearly meaningful kiss first.

"Want to do that again, Miss Swan?" 

She turns, already halfway down the stairs, and Emma looks at her, wide-eyed and speechless.

"I meant join us for game night. Would you like to join us for family game night?"

"Yes." Emma regains her ability to speak and adds "I'll bring Apples to Apples next time." with a wink.

"Goodnight, Miss Swan." Regina says sleepily,  with warmth in her voice, while standing in the doorway.

"Goodnight, Shnookie Wookie!" Emma whisper-yells from the driveway.

_Idiot._

No victor is ever declared.

Nobody feels like they lost, either. 


End file.
